Bleak Expectations

Bleak Expectations is a Radio 4 comedy series that pastiches the works of Charles Dickens and other Victorian-era tropes, with added steampunk-esque retrospective inventions, surreal humour and wordplay. It was written by Mark Evans and ran for five series originally broadcast from 2007 to 2012.

Sir Philip: My life has been an endless procession of trials, setbacks, and conveniently-spaced cliffhanger endings. Adventure has followed me like a dog follows a man with bacon trousers and lamb chop underpants.

Sourquill: It is a Carrier Cheetah. It has replaced the Carrier Pigeon. Well, it has eaten the Carrier Pigeon.

Lily: Come let us leave my father to contemplate his sad memories.

Sir Philip: Actually I shall get drunk and ignore them - it is the British way.